Inside Unmanned Systems

APR-MAY 2018

Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 46 of 67

ENGINEERING. PRACTICE. POLICY.
47 April/May 2018 unmanned systems
inside
special permission from the FAA—and there
aren't a lot of famers who want to spend time
applying for waivers (which we know are pretty
difficult to get approved).
While f lying larger drones (above 55 lbs) in
controlled airspace and BVLOS could make
this market more attractive, Prevot said the
systems would have to meet additional re-
quirements, making them a lot more expensive
and difficult to employ.
It seems no matter the type of system used,
precision agriculture just isn't a scalable busi-
ness model, Ellis said.
PACKAGE DELIVERY
While this is one of the most talked about areas
in the drone industry, it's also one of the most
complex, Bullard said. Drones have to safely
deliver packages directly to a person's home,
whether it's coming from an Amazon ware-
house or a UPS truck, which isn't an easy task.
Ellis sees last mile delivery as a more feasible
option than drones dropping off packages one
at a time from Amazon, especially as delivery
trucks become autonomous. Delivering single
packages via drone will just be too expensive.
Freighters will eventually handle deliveries
autonomously, and one day packages will go
from manufacturer to doorstep with no hu-
mans involved.
Many of what Bullard describes as "heav-
ies" are working on drone delivery, including
Amazon, UPS, FedEx and DHL.
"It's got to fit into their regular business mod-
el," Prevot said. "All of this will require a much
more sophisticated traffic management system,
especially if we do have multiple vehicles flying
in airspace where we don't currently have them."
URBAN AIR MOBILITY
The panel ended with a discussion on Urban
Air Mobility, or UAM. Through UAM, air taxis
will transport passengers in congested cities,
saving them time and money. This is the area
Poss believes is the least likely to develop, but
Prevot said there are many companies, in-
cluding Uber Elevate, working to create elec-
tric VTOL aircraft and networks to make it a
reality. To learn more about the
work being done by Uber Elevate,
NASA and other key players,
turn to page 34.
As the drone industry contin-
ues to evolve, so will the regu-
lations and the technology that
make missions possible across
many different verticals. There
will be more opportunities to make money in
this industry, whether it's through applications
that are already popular like inspection, or fu-
ture applications such as air taxis.
"Pick something and be good at it," Bullard
said of how to capitalize in the drone market.
"It's OK to be scatter shot like a shot gun, but
after you've done a couple scatter shots, pick
out what you're good at."
" ALL OF THIS WILL REQUIRE A MUCH
MORE SOPHISTICATED TRAFFIC
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY
IF WE DO HAVE MULTIPLE VEHICLES
FLYING IN AIRSPACE WHERE WE
DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THEM."
Tom Prevot, director of Airspace Systems, Uber Elevate
The Uber Elevate
eVTOL common
reference model fl ies a
sample route.